Stars & Black Holes

Season 1Episode 260 minSep 26, 2023
Stars & Black Holes

In this episode, Tim Peake looks further out from our solar system, to the stars beyond.

While living in space, Tim discovered that the view of the Milky Way was unlike anything seen from Earth. Thousands of pinpricks of light twinkled back at him framed by the complete blackness of space. Tim is searching for answers to questions such as what are stars made of, how long do they live and what happens when they die?

At the centre of our solar system is our star the sun, and Tim travels to the shores of Western Australia to witness a truly spectacular event: a total solar eclipse. Surrounded by thousands of fellow stargazers, Tim experiences the magical moment when the moon covers the sun, causing darkness to fall and the stars to come out during the day. But the best view he gets of the sun is back in London at the Science Museum. Standing in front of a giant i-max screen showing a film of the sun, he meets solar scientist Prof Lucie Green. We discover the sun is huge, like 110 earths lined up side by side. It's a massive burning ball of gas, with solar flares erupting from the surface, each one with the power of a billion hydrogen bombs exploding.

To find out what happens when stars die Tim meets Dr Becky Smethurst. Standing on the edge of Warleigh Weir just outside Bristol, Becky explains the biggest stars in the Universe can form black holes, strange structures that only a few decades ago were the crazy ideas of sci-fi movies. Like the water cascading over the edge of the weir, a black hole drags everything close to it into its void. Even light can't escape its clutches.

The final scene sees Tim meeting up with Prof Andrew Pontzen. They marvel at the most recently captured beautiful images from the James Webb space telescope. One image "The Pillars of Creation" shows the moment stars are born in deep space. Incredibly this is so far out into the universe the light has taken over six thousand years to reach earth, meaning it started its journey in the stone age.

Stars & Black Holes has aired on Sep 26, 2023 at 9:00 PM
Previous EpisodeNext Episode

Trailer

We do not have any trailers for this episode

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
Southern Charm
Running

Southern Charm

Southern Charm goes behind the walls of Charleston, South Carolina's most aristocratic families to reveal a world of exclusivity, money and scandal that goes back generations. The fast-paced, drama-filled docu-series follows six Charleston singles — Craig Conover, Cameran Eubanks, Jenna King, Thomas Ravenel, Shepard "Shep" Rose, and Whitney Sudler Smith — struggling with the constraints of this tight-knit, posh society. The cast, some descendants of Vice Presidents and four-term Senators, and others from "new money," is comprised of Southern bachelors who suffer from "Peter Pan Syndrome" by refusing to settle down; and the women in their lives who challenge them to grow up. Viewers will see them launch political careers, build businesses, break hearts, and chase true love -- all while struggling to preserve their family names. Because in Charleston, you're only as good as your last garden party and one social screw-up can taint generations to come.

Earth Abides
Running

Earth Abides

When a plague of unprecedented virulence sweeps the globe, the human race is all but wiped out. In the aftermath, as the great machine of civilization slowly and inexorably breaks down, only a few shattered survivors remain to struggle against the slide into barbarism... or extinction.

Earth Abides is a limited series adaptation of George R. Stewart's classic sci-fi novel of the same name.

Landman
Running

Landman

Set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas, Landman is a modern day tale of fortune seeking in the world of oil rigs. The series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it's reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.

GenreDrama
MasterChef: The Professionals
Running

MasterChef: The Professionals

The hunt for a young chef who wants to make it to the top of the culinary world.

GenreFood
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
Upcoming

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is an animated series that follows Peter Parker on his way to becoming a hero, with a journey unlike we've ever seen and a style that celebrates the character's early comic book roots.